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FIRE AT INVERCARGILL.

Invercargill, Y esterday. A tremendous conflagration occurred here this evening, resulting in the destruction of a large amount of valuable property. It originated, it is believed, in a shop on the western side of Dee

street, occupied by Mrs Hannah, and rapidly spread to the adjoining buildings. For some time the extensive warehouse at the corner of Dee and Spey streets was in imminent danger, but, thanks to the almost superhuman exertions of the fire brigade and others its destruction was averted. The warehouse is now the property of Messrs Paisley and Co., and was formerly occupied by Guthrie and Larnach’s Company. The windows, although they were two chains distant from the burn-

ng buildings, were nearly all broken by

the heat, and considerable damage must have been done to the stock. The building was on fire several times. Other buildings on the same side of the street had narrow escapes. The fire broke out at ten o’clock, and at midnight, when the telegraph office closed, the following buildings had been destroyed ;—The City Butchery (occupied by F. Campbell), Mrs Hannah’s grocery store, the Hibernian Hotel, Mr D. Roche’s grocery and wine and spirit store, an unoccupied building known as the Red Lion Hotel, M'Liskey’s boot shop, Hannan’s Temple of Science, W. Brown’s drapery store, and Cooper’s jeweller’s shop. Cooper and Brown occupied a portion of Hannan’s building. At midnight the fire was still raging with unabated fury, and in order to save the remainder of the block strenuous efforts were being to pull down the shops occupied by J. Rogers (tailor), W. Patterson (bootmaker), and A. Raeside (pastrycook). It is hoped

chat, by having adopted this course, White Swan Hotel will be saved and the buildings to the northward of it also. The brigade worked well, but were hampered by the scarcity of water. Great excitement prevailed and still prevails. The loss must be something enormous—at a rough guess L. 25,000. The insurances fall far short of this, but the amounts are nut obtainable tonight